Position Women’s Support Mentor – Justice Services

Location Flexible working - home based with travel to custodial settings in Country Durham

Salary £25,664 + excellent benefits

Hours 35 hours per week (flexible working)

Status Fixed Term to 31 March 2027

Closing date 8 May 2026

This isn’t a typical support role

You’ll work with women in the justice system who are often managing multiple, overlapping challenges - housing, trauma, finances, dependency, and more.

This role is about building trust, understanding the full picture, and staying alongside someone as they take steps to move forward.

The opportunity

The Wise Group, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and third sector organisations, delivers the Women’s Service across the North East - supporting almost 2,000 women in custody and in the community.

As a Women’s Support Mentor (known internally as a Mentor Advocacy), you will work alongside women on probation and in prison, using our Relational Mentoring approach to provide consistent, person-centred support.

You’ll engage across systems - probation, prisons, and local services - helping women navigate complex situations and access the support they need to build stability.

What you’ll be doing

• Building trusted, consistent relationships with women in custody and the community

• Supporting individuals facing multiple and interconnected challenges

• Working across prison and probation environments

• Coordinating with partners to unlock support around housing, finance, wellbeing and more

• Helping women take practical steps towards stability and progression

What this role really involves

• Working in custodial settings as well as in the community

• Supporting people whose situations can be complex, changeable and at times challenging

• Staying alongside individuals over time - not just providing one-off support

• Balancing empathy with a focus on practical outcomes

If you’re looking for a purely office-based or short-term intervention role, this is unlikely to be the right fit.

What we’re looking for

• Experience supporting people with complex needs (justice, housing, community, or similar)

• Ability to build trust and maintain professional boundaries

• Strong communication skills

• Confidence working across different environments, including prisons

• A realistic, grounded approach to supporting change

Experience in mentoring or custodial settings is advantageous, but not essential.

Additional requirements

• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (essential)

• Willingness to travel regularly across County Durham

• Ability to pass enhanced Level 1 prison vetting

• Home broadband suitable for remote working

Why join the Wise Group

The Wise Group works alongside people facing some of the most complex challenges, using a relational approach that focuses on long-term stability rather than short-term fixes.

This role is part of a wider effort to improve outcomes for women in the justice system - working across services to create more joined-up, effective support.

View the Role Profile for full details about this opportunity.